Dr Elliot and the Urchin
by MondayGirl
Summary: Set before Unbelievable in the batboy's series. Dr Elliot really hates working in the ER. Mentions some themes that may be uncomfortable to some readers.
1. Chapter 1

Tommy heaved a sigh after he drained his cup of reheated sludge which passed for coffee in the doctors lounge. Four more hours to go and he could go home. He could get away from the degenerates the glorious city of Gotham saw fit to spew into his ER. Why he agreed to cover for Doctor Kaling while she was on maternity leave he did not know. The place was a cess pit and Tommy hated every minute of it. The squawking brats, the drunken youths and the stabbed gang members were beginning to bore him. He was so above Gotham General it wasn't even funny anymore.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a nurse opened the lounge door. "Dr Elliot got another one for you. Cubicle eight." She hurried away before he could say anything. Stifling the urge to lock the door and refuse to come out until his shift was over Tommy hefted himself out of the sagged arm chair and braced himself for the noise of the world beyond the doctors lounge. He straitened his tie and exited the shabby room.

He could hear the shouting from where he stood at the nurse's desk and prayed it wasn't coming from his new patient, the last hour or so the department had seemed to quiet down. That quiet was now obviously over. He grabbed the notes from the nurse and the muttered "good luck" to his back told him exactly where the screeching was coming from.

The woman was raving at Tina the well meaning - if slightly dim - student nurse who was trying to gather the patient's insurance information. Tommy could have told her after one glance at the woman that there would be no insurance. He shooed the harried looking girl away and faced down the woman. "Be quiet". He glanced at the chart and then at the boy in the bed. The boy was battered and bruised but far more composed than his mother. The woman was a mess. One look at the size of her pupils told Tommy why she was such a mess. She had been out somewhere apparently, and had come home to find her son bloodied and unconscious on the floor. She had screeched at the paramedic that one of her 'friends' had taken issue with the boy and left him in such a state. Tommy could guess exactly what kind of 'friend' the perpetrator was. A complete trollop obviously. Through her crying Tommy could see the truth. He knew a little something about mothers who allowed their sons to suffer.

Luckily the boy had regained consciousness in the ambulance and was able to answer questions which his practically incoherent mother could not. Not eve counting the bruises (and broken fingers, blacked eyes, and busted ribs) the boy did not look well. The dark shadows under his eyes spoke of many sleepless nights just as his skinny frame told of many missed meals. His clothes were grungy and worn and the boy's hair resembled more of a black flea riddled cat than anything else. Tommy made a note not to let his own head get to close to he boy's.

The woman's sobbing was grating on his already thin patience. He cut her a look before going back to making an inventory of the boy's injuries. "Mrs Todd. Cease your hysterics and go to the nurses station, you need to fill out the paper work." The boy looked up at him in worry and opened his mouth to speak. "There is a form for help with payment". The woman unfortunately did not stop the noise she was making but did, thankfully, leave the cubicle. Probably helped on her way by an icy glance from the red haired doctor.

He had finished binding the boy's - Jason's - fingers and ribs, and checked him for concussion when the boys stomach rumbled loudly. "I'll have someone bring you a sandwich. I have to check on my other patients. I'll be back soon." Jason said nothing but nodded slightly. Tommy pushed the curtain aside.  
>"Wait." Tommy raised an eyebrow at the young boy in the bed."Thanks doc". The smile the boy gave him almost made him feel bad for what he had to do next after he made his checks. Almost.<p>

Tommy made his rounds before finding someone to call social services for the Todds.  
>He needn't have bothered he realised. When he came back to the cubicle he found both patient and mother gone. The sandwich someone had brought to Jason was left half opened on the bed tray. Sighing and annoyed Tommy went to gather the required paperwork regarding absconding patients. He hated paperwork.<p>

There was a commotion surrounding the desk when he approached. "What's happened here? Get back to work, this is a hospital not a knitting circle". Doctor Gallow turned to him and explained, "Half of the medical stockroom has been cleared out! Did you see anyone suspicious hanging around Dr Elliot?"

That damn woman! That sow had just doubled the amount of paperwork he now had to do. He especially hated having to deal with the trained monkeys who passed for the Gotham police department.

Two months later.

The woman found in the dilapidated apartment building in the slums of Gotham looked familiar. Her hair was a similar red to his own locks. Tommy couldn't quite place her though, in his months in the ER he had treated many junkies and whores and this woman was probably just one of the many that had been sent back out into crime alley. She certainly wasn't someone he would have known socially or personally. Dr Thomas Elliot did not mix with such people. It nagged at him though, he was sure he should remember this woman for some reason and he felt it was nothing to do with the woman herself. More something relating to her. He shrugged it off as he sent a call through to the morgue. She was no one.

Jason shivered as he pressed his face into his bent knees in the cold doorway. He tried to will his tears away, but it was no use. His mom was dead. Sure, she hadn't been the best mother and he was more often than not the one doing the looking after. But she was his mom and he loved her. Now he was completely alone.

Jason pulled the ratty sleeves of his hoodie down over his frozen fingers as he watched the crowds hurry through the icy downtown street. They scurried in and out of stores and restaurants escaping the biting cold which worsened by the minute. Jason had no such option. He had tried to find some warmth browsing the stacks in the bookstore across the street from where he now stood. However after an hour of pretending he was actually going to buy something the sales assistant had politely asked him to leave. She had been apologetic saying that if it was up to her he could have browsed all day but the manager though he was putting off the other customers. Jason could see where the guy was coming from, though it didn't stop him from knocking over the magazine rack as he stalked past the balding man. Yeah he may have smelt a little bad. And yeah he may have gotten a few smudged fingerprints on some of the books. But he was hardly effecting the other customers he was eleven for fucks sake! Hardly a hulking menace.

He decided he'd better get back to work, even though it was still edging closer and closer to freezing. Now it was getting later he had more of a chance of selling some of the stupid roses he'd spent the last of his money on. He was sure he'd be able to foist some off on the after work pedestrian traffic. There were bound to be a few guys who'd forgotten there girls birthday or pissed her off that morning and needed a way to apologise.

He sighed as he pulled the now slightly crumpled bag of roses out of his zipped up hoodie. Luckily, the plastic wrapping on each flower had mostly protected them from too much damage. He mentally prepared himself before he plastered a grin on his face and got to work. God he hated this.

Almost an hour later and he had sold a grand total of three roses. One to a woman with two little kids who had looked at him kind of funny before handing over the money and hurrying away practically dragging the kids who kept looking back at him one only a couple of years younger than him loudly asking why 'that boy' was so dirty, little shit. He wasn't that dirty, he'd had a shower at the shelter just last week. The second he sold to a man who looked almost relieved to see him, forgotten birthday or anniversary for sure. The third had gone to an old couple out for an evening stroll. And now it was starting to get dark. He spotted another likely customer a man heading towards him red haired head bent against the cold wind. When the guy lifted his head Jason felt a jolt of familiarity.

He shouldn't have walked home. Was Tommy's main thought as he trudged his way through the ice slicked streets. He had a perfectly good warm car he could have been tucked into but, no. He was brought out of his thoughts as a short scrap of a boy stepped out to block his path. He didn't make eye contact, like with wild animals he found this was the best course of action to take with beggars also. "I don't have any spare change." He pushed past the ragged boy earning an indignant shout. He thought he had made his escape but a grubby hand on his coat sleeve - his expensive wool coat sleeve - stopped him again. "I ain't begging for change! I'm selling a product, don't you wanna support a small business owner and buy a flower?" Tommy curled his lip as he shook the boy off, there was a flash off red and the boy was once more blocking his path and practically shoving the bag of wilted roses in his face.

Would this boy not give up? "Why on earth would I want one of those shrivelled weeds? Go away little boy, go home and stop making a nuisance of yourself." The boy was not deterred if anything Tommy's second rejection seemed to have spurred him on. "Why wouldn't you want one? C'mon mister buy a flower for your girl and I ain't a little boy, fuck you very much." Tommy resisted the urge to merely swat the ragamuffin out if his way, only the presence of other people in the street stopped him. "I do not have a 'girl' and even if I did, I assure you I would not buy her flowers from a street urchin such as yourself." After quickly looking around and seeing that no one was paying any attention to them Tommy grabbed the boys shoulder and pushed him to the side. However the boy seemed to give chase dogging Tommy's brisk steps. "Hey I don't judge mister! Get one for your boyfriend then, he'll love it and I'm sure a charming guy like you'll have something to apologise for. And it's not like you can't afford it, you fancy doctor types have plenty of cash." The boy caught his arm again and lowered his voice, "Or maybe there's somethin' else I can offer you, Dr Elliot." Tommy turned abruptly causing the boy to lose balance and slip on a patch of ice falling and landing on his behind with a thud. Tommy finally got a proper look at the belligerent little salesman. It took him a minute to place why the boy looked so familiar. It was the boy who he had treated months ago now in the ER. He also now remembered the over dose victim who had looked so familiar, now he realised why. The boy - Jake? Jarred? No, Jason - picked himself up off the frozen sidewalk. Tommy made a snap decision, he liked this boy for some reason and now properly seeing him felt a little bad for being so abrupt with him. Jason studied him warily as Tommy took a step closer. "Come on." He held the boys arm and pulled him along taking the sorry looking bag of flowers off of the him and throwing them in a nearby trash can. 

Jason jumped slightly as Dr Elliot shut the door behind them and clicked the lock into place. He felt a moment of trepidation as the realisation set in that he had just been dragged by a practical stranger to his home. And said stranger had just locked the door. It was a pretty nice place though, richly furnished and decorated and so very warm, he could feel his fingers and toes starting to thaw out. Jason pushed down the stab of jealousy, if Dr Elliot was really this rich then he may come out of this arrangement with some fat cash in his pocket. That is if the good doctor did take him up on his offer and didn't chicken out. Well, the guy couldn't be more nervous than he himself was feeling at that moment. He had never actually had a...client before. He had been approached by shady looking men but had always turned them down before now. Today though he had just felt more desperate, he was hungry and cold and just plain sick of always being hungry and cold. He knew how this kind of thing went down, from the time he was old enough to go and sit on the apartment steps to escape his parents fighting he had watched the working girls and boys ply their trade. He could handle it, he had too.

Tommy wasn't entirely sure why he had brought the street rat home with him. Perhaps it was due to having never been allowed a pet as a child so now he was compensating by bringing home a stray. He looked at the boy who seemed to be studying his face warily whilst simultaneously looking for an escape route. He stepped closer to the boy and opened his mouth to reassure him but instead what came out of his mouth was, "you're having a shower, you smell revolting." At that Jason's face seemed to both look relieved and affronted. "Hey! It ain't that bad! I had a shower last week at the shelter." Tommy arched an eyebrow and smirked down at the ragged boy. "Yes, I can tell." He chuckled at the boy's indignant squawk as he chivvied him in the direction of his bathroom. "I suppose you do know how indoor plumbing works? I really don't have the time to give a tutorial on running a bath." As he left Jason alone to complete his ablutions Tommy heard a muttered, "Bet you ain't never run no bath for yourself, probably had some snooty butler to do it for you and to dry you off afterwards, powdered your but too I bet." The cheeky little brat.

He didn't remember him being so rude when he was in the hospital but then he hadn't pegged him for a perv then anyway. Did he know how to work freaking plumbing!? He'd asked with his nose stuck about a mile in the fucking air! The cheeky rich bastard.

Left to wash the poor off of himself for ginger Richie rich out there Jason got to work trying to use all of the guy's hot water. However, he had run into a problem as the stuff seemed to be never ending. If he had stayed in the shower this long when he was at home not only would his dad have clouted him one for it, but the water would have been ice by now, when it even worked that is. He finished scrubbing himself and turned off the shower, inspecting his reflection in the big mirror he saw his skin now had an almost healthy looking pink tinge to it, rather than the sallow grey it had been before. He dropped the towel and looked around for his clothes only to find them missing from the toilet seat where he had piled them only twenty minutes before. Dr Elliot must have snuck in and taken them while he was in the shower! The sneaky fucking bastard! He was just beginning to entertain the idea that this was all part of so e weird sex game he doc had in mind when there was a rap at the door and the man's voice floated through. "If you are ready to come out, there is a robe on the back of the door you may put on. Your clothes have been put in the laundry." The twist the man put on the word clothes made it clear to Jason exactly what he thought of them. Well it was probably about time he figured out that not everyone could afford Prada or Hugo Boss. Hell right now Wallmart was a bit too rich for his blood. He pulled on the robe, it was way too big for him and practically swamped him but it was soft, warm and kind of fluffy so Jason didn't complain.

As soon as he left the bathroom the scent of food hit him. He followed his nose deeper into the apartment and into a large dining room. Jason's stomach rumbled at the sight of the pizza laid out on the table next to two place settings, one of which Dr Elliot was already sat at. The man smirked at him, "I'm not one for cooking for myself and I thought you would appreciate this sort of fair rather than what I would usually order. I see I was correct."

Tommy was feeling quite pleased with himself as Jason offered him a small smile and took his seat to the right of him. That was until the boy fell upon the food like a starved dog might upon a bone. Disgusted and acting almost unthinkingly Tommy snatched the plate away. "If you continue to behave like an animal I will treat you as such and you can take your meal on the floor! You are not eating from a garbage can now you filthy creature!" Jason pulled back at his words a look of fear crossing his face, the boy seemed almost frozen, where before he had been ready with a snarky comment to anything Tommy might have to say. The doctor felt a pang of guilt sweep through him as he looked at that fearful face. What was the matter with him? The boy was probably starving and he had taken his food away from him? Was he some sort of monster? Of course the child would have no table manners, he had seen the mothers idea of parenting first hand back in the ER. What scared Tommy the most was how much he had sounded like his own father in that moment. He slowly set the plate back down in front of the dark haired boy and took a second to compose himself. "Jason I'm- uh, well just don't do it again. There is ice cream for dessert."

The boy seemed to relax a little after a few minutes of watching Tommy while slowly, cautiously chewing on his pizza. Once he seemed reasonably sure that Tommy wasn't going to snatch away his meal a second time he tried to start some conversation. It was as though the boy was used to trying to break the tension in a room with his inane chatter, what was that? What did that thing do? Why had he gotten changed? How long would his clothes take? Although he did seem to get back to his facetious self as the slices of pizza began to disappear from the box, Jason still kept a certain stiffness to the way he ate. Well, Tommy thought at least the boy wasn't shovelling the greasy mess down like some barn yard animal now, that eased his guilt a little knowing that his outburst had seemingly taught the boy something. It was obviously about time someone did.

Jason was careful for the rest of his meal he didn't want Dr Elliot to go off on him again. The guy had seemed rude but pretty decent before now, but he'd just completely lost it and over what? Jason's lack of table manners? And did he really threaten to make him eat it off the fucking floor? However, the pizza was good and Jason could almost understand the man's reaction, he did seem to have that effect on most people. He would just have to behave himself, hey at least the guy was feeding him, and washing his clothes. He couldn't be all bad, right? He hoped the doc didn't get all messed up like that in the bedroom or he'd be charging extra. When he had polished off the rest of the pizza the promised ice cream was brought out and Jason couldn't contain his laugh of happiness when he saw the flavour. "What?" Asked the red head as he daintily took a bite of his bowl of Neapolitan. "Nothin' s'just my favourite flavour".

The ice cream did seem to break the tension that had held since his outburst and Tommy was glad it had turned out to be the boy's favourite. Though for the life of him he didn't know why he had some in his freezer (not that Tommy did something a common place as grocery shopping) he was usually more of a sorbet man himself. Jason had finished half of the carton of the stuff when Tommy noticed the boy's eyes beginning to droop. He stood and stretched feeling a bit tired himself, "Well, time for bed I think."

Jason was wary as Dr Elliot led him towards the bedroom. He was certain that now the man would take his payment for the food and shower. Although Jason was scared he was resigned to what was about to happen, the guy was clean and ok looking, he could have done a lot worse for his first time. And yeah, ok maybe the guy was a massive perv for bringing an eleven year old home with him, but, Jason couldn't hold that against the man when it meant he would sleep tonight in a warm bed, clean and fed. He had never expected to get a good deal such as this for free, he was a kid from crime alley and every kid from crime alley knew there was no such thing as a free meal.

Unless you stole it of course.

The red haired man stopped abruptly in front of a door and turned on his heel to face Jason. The doctor bent down so he eye level with the boy. "If I find anything missing from this room in the morning. You will be a very sorry young man indeed." He placed a heavy hand on the urchin's thin shoulder. "Do you understand Jason?" The boy could only nod mutely not wanting to risk sending the man into another rage like the one he had displayed at dinner. Seemingly satisfied Dr Elliot straightened and opened the door, ushering Jason before him into the room. "You can sleep in the robe, your clothes will be ready in the morning. If you need anything I'll be down the hall so just shout for me. Good night Jason." The door closed behind the boy the soft noise followed by a click. Jason turned back to the door and jiggled the handle. He'd locked him in! The bastard had actually locked him in. Christ! As if he would try and runaway or something when there was a chance this guy might feed him some more in the morning. Rich people. Jason would never understand them.

He took a look around the room and clocked the bed right away. It was the fanciest fucking thing to sleep in Jason had ever seen. Piled high with pillows and thick quilts, Jason knew what had to be done. The boy made a running jump and landed on the bed with a soft oomft. He buried his face in the soft, clean smelling pillows and didn't bother to contain jus smile as he wiggled under the heavy covers still wrapped in the fluffy robe. He sighed contentedly before realising that he had been left alone. Completely alone. What was it the doc had said? "I'll be down the hall?" The boy could hardly believe it, a shower, dinner and now this and the guy hadn't flipped his dick out once. Maybe Jason had been wrong, perhaps Dr Elliot was just doing him a good turn. Or more realistically the boy thought as he burrowed further into the pike of pillows and pulled the blankets up to his chin, the guy would expect a fuck or a blow job in the morning. However as Jason lay there and felt his eyelids droop he really couldn't care less.

Tommy huffed a sigh as he shucked his clothes and stepped under the hot spray of the shower. That boy. That boy, sleeping in his spare room. What was he doing? Tommy scrubbed his hands over his face and hair, who did he think he was? Fagin or something? He let the water turn his skin pink as he tugged at himself momentarily feeling some relief from the anxiety that seemed to hold a vice like grip on him as it had since he was a boy, always tensed for the next blow, the next cruel word. The boy would have to go. In the morning he would feed him, give him some money and send him on his way. He would be fine, his sort always were.


	2. Chapter 2

Jason kept his eyes squeezed shut as the door slid open. He waited for the bed to dip or the covers to be pulled back. However he was still waiting less than a minute later when the door was closed quietly and footsteps receded down the hall. He sat up in the large bed rubbing the

sleep out of his eyes before looking around the room. His clothes were folded on a chair in by the door. Spotting them he slipped out of bed and pulled them on quickly

They were cleaner than anything Jason had worn in a long probably since before his mom had got really sick when she still used to go to the laundromat. He sniffed at his ratty

sleeve, the doc used the good washing stuff.

He stuck his head out into the hall and listened, there were sounds of movement but he

wasn't sure if he was allowed to leave the bedroom. He stayed put just in case. There was no need to rile up Dr Elliot when there was the possibility of more food if he behaved. He made the bed before sitting on it. He figured Elliot would go in for that sought of thing he obviously like things to be neat.

He didn't have to wait long before footsteps stopped outside the door. Elliot didn't knock but it was his place, Jason supposed the guy could barge into a damn room he liked. The red haired man flicked his gaze around the room before landing on Jason. He didn't smile but he didn't scowl at him either which Jason took as a good sign. "I see you're not devoid of all manners then. Come along you may have some breakfast before I have to go to work."

He turned and left the room abruptly leaving a Jason to scramble after him. "Good morning to you too Doc! I slept great thanks. Jeez and you say my manners are bad. I don't know any better what's your excuse? You always treat your guests this way?" The man raised a sculpted eyebrow at the ragged boy from his seat at the table.

"You, boy, are not a guest you are my charitable deed for the week. Now eat your oatmeal." Jason snorted and took his seat. The oatmeal wasn't bad it definitely wasn't the powdered stuff that came in different flavours his mom used to buy but it was ok. Once they'd finished Elliot rose from the table and strode to entrance hall. Jason trailed him reluctantly, sure the Doc was pretty nutty but his place was so warm and outside would be even colder than yesterday, he just knew it. Still he had even fed, got his clothes cleaned and gad gotten to sleep in a soft clean bed and Elliot hadn't once tried anything, even while he was naked in the

shower. He waited silently while Elliot donned his long coat and retrieved his bag and key from the table by the door. The man turned to him a strange expression on his face. "Well, I have to go to work now and you, you have to go to school I suppose." Jason nodded not bothering to tell the man he hadn't been to school in well over a year. He followed Dr Elliot out through the building to the street. Before he could make his goodbyes or try to thank the man the Dr thrust a hand under his nose. Jason instinctively flinched back a little before he realised what was clutched in it. The man shook the bills at him like he would shake a bone at a dog or something. Jason snatched the money and stuffed it in his pocket. "Thanks man, uh see you around I guess."

Elliot shook his head. "No I shouldn't think so, I'm far too busy to be wasting my time with a child. Spend that money on food Jason not drugs. Now run along, uh be good." Jason cringed as the ADR awkwardly patted his head, yep the guy was cracked did he think he was five or something? Still he'd done him a good turn and as he watched him walk away he felt a little bad that he might not see him again, that Dr Elliot obviously didn't want to see him again. He kicked a rock as he trudged back to his own side of town. He could blame the guy really, if he was some rich doctor who lived in a fancy apartment he wouldn't want anything to do with a street rat like himself either. 

Tommy gave a sigh of relief as he shrugged into his over coat and grabbed his brief case. Another day of annoying spoilt patients, whining and moaning. He chose to walk home again even though the rain was threatening again. He didn't see the boy, he wasn't trying to peddle

any weeds in the street and he wasn't waiting on Tommy's doorstep to beg for another free meal. Not that he had thought he would, Tommy had explicitly told the child they wouldn't see each other again. He was not disappointed. He wasn't, he had simply entertained the idea that the boy may have not listened to him.

The warmth of his apartment felt exquisite after the biting cold outside, his thoughts briefly went to Jason again. He quashed the image of the boy huddled in a frozen doorway somewhere. He was most likely fine, he was probably staying with a friend eating dinner as Tommy stood in his hallway with his coat half off.

Again and again his mind strayed to the boy. As he ate his own dinner (tender chicken wrapped in Parma ham and crisp green vegetables, a favourite from the restaurant down the street) he wondered what Jason would be dining on that evening. As Tommy read by the fire

and glanced out of the window to see the rain had intensified, he wondered if the boy would have a roof to shelter him from it. Damn! This was not his problem, why should he be even remotely bothered about some grubby street urchin. He didn't have the time to waste on a child he wasn't even related to, it's not like the boy was even pleasant to be around. His manners were atrocious, he was grossly uneducated with an accent that grated on the man's ears. No he definitely did not regret telling the boy to leave him alone. And he absolutely felt no guilt whatsoever.

The thunder cracked as he drove his car down the slicked streets, the further Tommy got from his own apartment the more decrepit the buildings became. He scanned the streets, squinting through the heavy rain half hoping he wouldn't see a flash of red hoodie in the dark.

The doctor had almost given up when he reached park row. On a night such as this even here the streets were empty the derelicts having found shelter from the rain somewhere. His half hearted search seemed futile and he turned the car around deciding to go straight home and give up on this nonsense. What had he been thinking? As if he could just drive down here and Jason would be conveniently waiting for him on a street corner. Ridiculous.

Jason watched a pair of headlights briefly illuminate the alley entrance as he struggled and failed to get to his feet. His newly washed clothes were once again soaked with freezing rain water which still pounded down on him where he lay. The bastards had jumped him after he'd bought his chilli dog from the cart. They must've seen the cash he'd been given by the doc. When he didn't give it over easily enough for them they worked him over. His fucking ribs burned and each breath was like a knife twisting between them. He should have stayed uptown. He probably could have found somewhere to crash, maybe Dr Elliot might have even run into him again and changed his mind. If he had just been more polite last night maybe the doc would have asked him to come back, he wouldn't have even card if he had

wanted something in return. He managed to get to his feet using the wall to prop himself up and shuffled to the mouth of the dirty alley. He could see headlights coming down the road again as he stumbled onto the sidewalk the places where his assailants feet had bruised him jarring on the cold concrete. As he slipped into unconsciousness he thought he heard a car door slam and familiar footsteps hurrying toward him.

The first thing Jason noticed when awoke was the pain in his abused ribs. The second was that he wasn't lying crumpled in the dank alley in Park Row. The bed was soft and clean. The subtle vanilla scent coming from the sheets was strangely familiar, when he managed to make his eyes open, he saw why. Jason was back in Dr Elliot's home in the same Rome

had slept in. He was confused to say the least, the last thing he remembered was getting jumped and robbed and subsequently beaten to a pulp. How the hell had he got back here? Looking around the room he noticed several changes from his last stay. The beeping monitor by his bed for one and Dr Elliot sat in a chair by the bed, watching him. Also Jason realised he was completely naked. "Did you undress me? You pervert."

Jason, please. I'm a doctor. Besides I wasn't going to let those filthy rags touch those sheets. They're Egyptian cotton." Jason didn't really understand why where the cotton came from had

anything to do with the Dr undressing him but he tried to control the anger and sliver of panic he felt at being in such a vulnerable state. He noticed his ribs had been bandaged and he could feel a band aid on his fore head. The doc had obviously patched him up. "Whatever, what'm I doing here anyway? How'd you find me?" The Doctor merely raised a brow

in Jason's direction and preceded to fiddle with the machine the boy was currently attached to. 'Did you bring that home from the hospital? Is that allowed?" Another elegant brow arched at the boy, "oh man! You totally stole it! How did you even manage that? S'not like you could just stick it up your sweater or someth-"

"Be quiet," ordered the doctor as he pulled the covers away from Jason's torso. At the panicked look that the boy gave him Tommy held up the stethoscope, "I'm just

going to listen to your lungs. I want to make sure nothing is perforated, you're lucky no ribs were broken but the damage you did sustain could have got to your lungs." The boy jumped when he pressed the gold mettle to his chest and Tommy didn't suppress the chuckle he

gave out. "Sorry I didn't think a tough boy like you would need the head warming. I thought that was just for babies. " the murderous glare Jason sent his way made him laugh again. He was glad to see the boy felt up to glaring, in the night he had been afraid that he had made the

wrong choice in tending to him himself rather than taking him to the hospital. He nodded with satisfaction upon hearing nothing to concern him and replaced the covers over the boy who had begun to shiver slightly. "You can borrow a night shirt of mind for now." He felt the

boy's eyes track him across the room and out of the door as he went to retrieve a shirt.

Jason was, apparently, unimpressed with the shirt a Tommy brought back. "I ain't wearing no dress! You are a perv, is it that what you sleep in? Nah I bet yours has got frills on or some

shit like that." Rationally Tommy knew Jason's reaction and words were a defence mechanism he used when he was feeling vulnerable. However jus own mouth didn't quite seem to grasp that idea. "If you don't like it and continue in this ungrateful manner. I shall deposit you back outside

in your current state and lock the door behind you. Now lift you arms so I can put this on you, you brat." Thankfully the boy complied and so Tommy was not compelled to toss his bare bottom into the greying sludge outside. Once the little wretch realised the comfort of the garment and was tucked back into the bed properly he seemed a little mollified and agreed to try to sleep a little, not that his agreement was needed as the milk Tommy had just given him had been heavily laced with a sedative. Compliance was always nice though.

Tommy stopped at the bedroom door to turn the lights off and looked back at the sleeping

boy. The almost sick feeling he had had last night was gone and he went to his own bed with a rare smoke on his face. He still didn't really understand why it should matter to him if the boy was snug in his spare bedroom or freezing on some park bench. All he knew was that tonight the boy was safe and warm and it was all down to him. He, Thomas Elliot had saved the child from probably dying in that alley of exposure and had patched up his wounds himself. He was a Good Samaritan now, he supposed. He wondered briefly what his mother would have said and fell asleep with the half laugh still on his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a week since Dr Elliot had brought Jason home and he had finally allowed him out of bed. Jason fidgeted in the over stuffed armchair he had been directed too after dinner, he was bored. The doctor sat opposite in a matching chair, his face concealed behind a news

paper. Elliot didn't even have a TV and when Jason had asked about one the man had curled his lip as if he had just asked if he could shit on the rug. He shifted his position again and sighed, his ribs still hurt and his eye was still swollen almost shut.

Tommy looked at the boy over his paper. Jason was sprawled in the chair pouting and sighing. Tommy straightened his paper out again with a crackle, "if you're tired Jason you can go to bed. I assume you don't want me to tuck you in." There was a seconds pause before the boy replied, "I'm not tired! I'm bored, there's nothing to fucking do in this place." Tommy raised an eyebrow behind his paper at the petulant tone of the child. "Oh, I am sorry Jason. I didn't realise that in addition to sheltering you, feeding you and tending your wounds that I also had to provide entertainment. I would have thought you would be more grateful than

that." His words were met with silence and for a moment Tommy worried he had said the wrong thing until he heard Jason's contrite response. 

"You're right. Sorry man, uh Dr Elliot. Guess I am being pretty bratty, must be the pain meds." He gave a nervous sounding laugh. "I'll just go to bed then." And now Tommy felt bad again. How the hell did Jason manage to get to him like this? "Wait." He dropped his paper and crossed the room. As he passed Jason he noticed how the boy tensed and the now

familiar guilt clenched his stomach. He grabbed a book at random and passed it to the still silent boy. "Here, you can borrow this. It's called a book, maybe you'll learn something from it." He chanced another look at the boy before returning to his paper. The small, hesitant

smile on his face made Tommy smile in return. "Thanks Dr Elliot." Tommy shook his paper out before replacing it in front of his face. "Yes well, don't mess it up and use the dictionary if you don't understand any of the words or you could ask me. I suppose." With that he turned his attention back to the business section of the paper where Bruce Wayne's toothy smile glinted back at him. He took the couple of minutes before he heard Jason settle back in his chair and turn the first page before he continued reading.

For a minute Jason was certain that Elliot was going to toss him out for swearing at him, probably with a couple of extra bruises to boot. He had been wrong. Instead the man had lent him some old book. He was sure it'd probably put him to sleep especially since the main character was a chick but, it was better than sitting there in silence. The doc had still been pretty cold and rude but Jason was coming to expect that of him now and it wasn't as if he

usually brought out the best in normal people. So a rich weirdo like Elliot couldn't be expected to bring out his fancy company manners when Jason was around. The book actually wasn't that bad he figured as he turned the next page, even if it was for girls.

"No! You can't make me!" Jason roared as he knocked the needle out of the stunned nurses hand. Elliot had tricked him, he had he was taking him to his surgery to take the last couple of stitches out, which he had and everything had been fine until nurse fucking Ratchet had been called to the room. "Jason, it's important all of your inoculations are up to date. Don't be such a baby, you are embarrassing yourself and me."

"You ain't coming anywhere near me with that fucking thing! So you can just forget it! I don't need no bullshit innoc- inoco- injections! So you can just fuck off!" Tommy had to grasp the side of his chair to stop himself from getting up and smacking the boy right in his filthy mouth. How dare he embarrass him like this in front of a member of his staff? After all he had done for the boy as well. The behaviour would certainly not be tolerated, he would civilise the little beast if it was the last thing he and Jason did. Tommy exchanged a look and a nod with the nurse and quickly joined her in front of the boy on the table. He grabbed the

boy's arm before he could make his escape and held him still while the nurse administered the injection. "There that wasn't so bad, was it? You do get worked up over nothing boy." Jason remained silent and kept his eyes trained on his ratty sneaker that he had refused to let Tommy replace, another issue he would be taking up with the boy. No child of his was going to run around like some sort of street urchin.

Jason stayed silent for the whole journey back to Elliot's place. He didn't want to risk saying the wrong thing the guy had that kinda crazy glint in his eyes he got sometimes when he was pissed at him. But hell! Jason was pissed himself, he forced him to get stabbed by that giant ass needle which had not only hurt like fuck but gad brought up memories he'd rather forget. It was easier to forget the image of his mom laying there on their ratty mattress with her glassy eyes staring at him, the needle still lodged her arm if he didn't have to see the fucking things. Shit and who knew what you could get from needles, all kinds of nasty diseases, he hears stories about druggies who didn't even last to die from the poison they were pumping into them cause the got killed by the dirty needle instead. And yeah rationally he knew that the needles in a doctors office were gonna be clean but he still didn't want one jabbed

his arm. He wasn't scared though, he just didn't like it and that was completely different to being scared of something. Jason Peter Todd was no fucking cry baby no matter what Elliot said.

He was in 'his' room at the moment having been sent there by Elliot. The guy was

getting a bit much for Jason to handle, yeah he was grateful for the food and bed and everything but it was like Elliot expected him to say he was every five fucking minutes. When he didn't want him to just sit quietly and not bother him that was. His dad was the same, he wanted Jason to be invisible until he found it convenient to remember he had a

son. Like when he was eight and his dad hadn't been home in a couple of weeks, hadn't spoken to Jason for longer. He had burst through the door one evening all smiles and "where's my boy?" He'd taken Jason for a burger and Jason had been stupid enough to think it was because he wanted to spend time with him. Turns out the burger was a bribe of sorts

to keep him in line for later that night when he sent him to knock on the door of a nice house away from their neighbourhood. He'd told him to cry and tell whoever answered that he was lost and while Jason kept the nice old lady distracted his dear old dad had slipped in the back and relieved her off her jewellery. Turns out he'd been casing the house for a while. He snapped out of his thought when Elliot called his name from down the hall. Jason was supposed to be changing out if his old clothes and putting on the new ones Elliot had bought him, he'd been given a garbage bag to put his stuff in so it was ready to be thrown away. Jason didn't want to get rid of his old clothes, sure they were

tattered and stained but they were his. He didn't have to be grateful for being allowed to wear them, he didn't have to do as Elliot said because he was scared he would take them away if he didn't, like he had with the food and the stupid book when he had turned the page to fast

and ripped it. Elliot called again telling him to hurry up and get rid if his 'rags', apparently they still had his earlier behaviour to discuss. Fuck it. Jason Todd didn't need this rich assholes charity, he had been doing just fine on his own, it was clear Elliot didn't even

like him anyway.

Jason shouted that he was coming but he had to use the bathroom first which was luckily near the front door. He opened and shut the bathroom door as he passed it and padded silently but

quickly in his socked feet to the front door. He eased the key in the locked round and was out the door in a second. He stopped to put his sneaker back on and he was off he ran through the building and out into the street then concentrated on getting as far away from the good

doctor as possible, back yo where he belonged.

"Jason!" Tommy rapped on the bathroom door annoyed at the boy's obvious attempt to

escape punishment. He had told him that there would be consequences for his actions today and left him in no uncertain terms that those consequences would probably result in a spanking or a good old fashion mouth wash out with soap. It was for his own hood Tommy told himself and much more lenient than any punishment his own father would have given.

He knocked again with still no answer, he listens at the door and heard no sound from within. He tried the handle and found the door unlocked, unusual for Jason.

The bathroom was empty as was the boy's room. The clothes Tommy had given him were still laid out on the bed. He checked the apartment to be sure the boy wasn't just hiding. When he found no trace of the child he had to concede. Jason was gone. Tommy had driven him away, just like he did everyone. Or perhaps not, he thought the feeling of guilt easing a but as he realised that perhaps Jason had been too long without a parent and was just beyond help. The boy would likely never be able to act as a proper child, no it was not Tommy's faults as a father figure it was Jason's fault as a son. If he hadn't managed to civilise the child then no one would. At least he had tried.


	4. Chapter 4

Tommy slammed his fist onto the new paper spread before him, an angry growl building in his throat. The headline read "Brucie does it again!" Under that a picture of the smug bastard smiling idiotically at the camera with his arm clasped around the shoulders of a boy, his boy.

The drivel masquerading as a news article went on to detail how the sainted Bruce Wayne had yet again taken in a poor orphan and vowed to bring him up as his own, enfolding him in the chilly embrace of Gotham upper crust society.

Everything. Bruce had everything, and he still had to take from Tommy. Like the spoiled child he always had been.

(A/N: See how Jason and Bruce meet in Unbelievable).


End file.
